Designing with Hot Fix Transfers

Hot Fix crystals are a popular design embellishment on all types of clothing, from canvas sneakers to baseball caps and every kind of garment in between. There are many iron on designs readily available in stores but if you’d like to create your own design for a piece of clothing truly “you” then using Hot Fix iron-on design paper is the way to go.

Draw or print your design on a piece of paper. If you are using words, be sure to print using the “mirror image” setting on your printer since the image will be flipped when applying the crystals. If you are hand drawing your design, trace your design the “right” way with a marker that bleeds through to the other side of the paper. Then flip your paper over and use the backside as your template.

Peel the paper off the Hot Fix iron-on design transfer paper and lay it sticky side up over your design. Hold the design to the transfer paper with a paper clip.

Use the tweezers to place the crystals right side down on the Hot Fix paper following the contours of your design. Press down gently to adhere.

Place the cardboard inside the clothing. This is to protect your garment from any glue that might leak through the fabric area you are ironing your design onto.

Stick the Hot Fix paper to your garment by flipping it over and pressing the sticky side down where you’d like your design to be.

Lay the pressing cloth over the Hot Fix paper and iron the crystals in place on medium setting for 10 to 20 seconds. Do not slide the iron but lift and press if you are working on a large design.

Allow the crystal design to cool for at least 2 minutes, then slowly peel the Hot Fix paper away from your design.

Turn the clothing inside out and press again on the backside of the design for 10 to 20 seconds to make sure the crystals are firmly adhered to your garment.